Reunion I: Dreams
by Anya-Paradox
Summary: AU 'They lost a lot of years that could have been spent together. They may hate us. But for the safety of all the other people, they had to sacrifice time. And unfortunately, time seems to be the most valuable of all.' First Installment, AxA.
1. Emm

**Reunion: Dreams**

_By Anya_

Chapter 1: Emm

A/N: Hey guys, just another story that I have been thinking about. I am hoping if I get this out, maybe **Is It Worth It** will come to me! By the way, there will be more Reunion installments to come!

_No Ownage Here_

_xxx… Tell me that I won't feel a thing, Give me Novocain …xxx_

She fought her way to the bus, her faded blue jeans the same as everyone else's. She was the same as everyone else, no different. Her life was just a life, go to work, go home, make dinner, clean up, and go to sleep. It was comforting to be so punctual, but not exciting. Life had lost its excitement years ago.

The bus seat was uncomfortable, as usual. She sat hesitantly, watching the people around her. How could no one else see how distant everyone was? How could no one understand that everyone was miserable? Wherever she looked, people sat, watching the floor, their eyes so lost and forlorn they were unbearable to see. Society was so alone nowadays. Even with all the technology, the cell phones, the internet, no one really talked anymore.

Everything around her was dull. Life was dull. Colors that were once vibrant and beautiful were expressionless and lifeless.

She missed… she missed her dreams. Dreams of castles, and dragons, and oceans and princes. Dreams of faraway places and friends and family. Dreams of what could have been a beautiful reality. A reality no one deserved.

"Excuse me Miss, my Grandpa needs somewhere to sit, and the bus is full. His legs bother him." She looked down to find a tiny little girl, with golden hair and bright blue eyes. She looked happy, and excited. As though the world around her was a mysterious place. She looked the way people should look.

"Oh don't bother the lady Emm. You know I am fine." An older man scolded her, a laughing glint in his eyes. He looked content. He looked as though life was okay. She was mystified. Both the girl, Emm, and her Grandpa looked like life was an adventure.

"But she looks nice Grandpa, I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Emm said sincerely.

The woman's eyes misted lightly as she watched the tiny girl in her purple dress. Emm could not see the bad in people could she?

"It's not a problem. I would have moved earlier, but I didn't see you there. Please sir, take my seat." The woman invited warmly, trying to put as much happiness into her face and tone as they naturally had.

The man sat, and immediately Emm crawled into his lap. The woman smiled at her.

"She's beautiful." The words unconsciously slipped out of her mouth and she felt herself blush. No one spoke their mind so openly these days. The grandpa beamed.

"Isn't she though? Her parents died, and yet she doesn't see the world as a bitter place. Children are marvelous, are they not?" He asked.

The woman nodded, her thoughts already far away. How could one little girl whose life had been filled with death and suffering, not by cynical? How could she love a life so hurtful and plain?

And as she watched the little girl, the woman came to a decision. It was a decision that would change her life, ruin it perhaps. But it was what she had always wanted more than anything in her life, and yet had never done.

She leaned over and pulled the string to stop the bus.

"Thank you Emm. And Emm's Grandpa. You just changed my life." The woman informed them.

The bus pulled slowly to a stop and the woman left the Grandpa and child staring bewildered after her.

Atlanta Hesper was going to go see the ocean.

_xxx… And one day I will leave my house, and embrace my home …xxx_

Atlanta exited the airport, deciding she would walk to wherever she wanted to go. What did she want to do, now that she was here, in New Olympia, only a half hour away from the ocean? New Olympia was a fair sized city, but not overly busy. Nothing like the Philadelphia she was used to.

So she found a sidewalk, and she walked. She just kept going. Eventually she found herself a drug store where she bought the same hair dye she had once used. As soon as she got a sink, Atlanta was going to revive her dull reddish-brown hair. When she was done, it would be fire hydrant red once again.

Atlanta soon found a Wal Mart. She entered hesitantly, remembering that all the money she had on her was what she had brought from her small apartment in Philadelphia. She bought a back-pack, sleeping bag and food. She grabbed herself a pair of sweats and an extra shirt. After she had the necessities, Atlanta paid for them. She entered the bathroom, only to come out with bright red hair and different set of clothes than she had started with.

The change was tangible. Her hair was brighter, her skin less pale and sallow, her clothes less…perfect. She looked like a human being. And she looked excited.

Atlanta left the Wal Mart, noticing the glances people sent her way. To them, she was strange and weird. Maybe she needed mental help. But for Atlanta, this was the happiest she'd been in years. The most excited she'd been since… well since she had lost her parents.

When Atlanta had turned sixteen, her parents had gone on a trip to New York to buy her a present, only to be involved in a mass accident. They had died on the scene. Atlanta had been orphaned, and she had no other family.

So she had gotten herself a job, rented an apartment and continued going to school. As soon as she hit eighteen, Atlanta had received her trust fund. And with that money, she had gone to University and achieved her teacher degree. That day she quit her job, moved out of her apartment and bought herself a small trailer. Almost instantly she was snatched up by a small school to be the gym teacher.

It had been tough, and Atlanta had hated every minute of it. But the thought of maybe finding the happiness she once had had driven her on. It had been worse than any drug to Atlanta. For six consecutive years, Atlanta had only gotten at most three hours of sleep. And she had still passed with honors.

But that had not been enough for Atlanta. She had the start of a life, a good life. And yet, she was not happy. She did not feel love circling her as she had with her parents. She did not receive hugs for no reason. She did not wake from a bad dream only to feel foolish because she was safe.

Atlanta did not feel like she had a home. So when the whim had hit her to leave her life, and go see the ocean, she succumbed. She had never seen the ocean, even though she had lived right beside it her entire life. She had always been too busy.

But now, Atlanta had nothing to tie her down. She had everything she needed to live for a week or two on her back. And she still had enough money for clothes and food for a few months at least. And when the time came to return to a job and a house, if Atlanta had not found what she was looking for, she would return. She would believe that this was all life held in store for her and she would never miss another day of work.

But until then, Atlanta was determined to find something other than just punctual life. She wanted to feel safe, she wanted adventure, she wanted stability, she wanted spontaneous, she wanted a home. But most of all, Atlanta just wanted to feel happy. She wanted a life that was worth living for. Not just surviving, but living.

_xxx… When Your Gone, All The Colors Seem To Fade …xxx_

Atlanta had been debating on sleeping the park she had come across when she had seen something that had sent a cold chill over her body. It was an old building, which looked to be abandoned. Its walls were brownstone and it had small gardens overrun by weeds.

The brownstone itself was unremarkable except for the fact that Atlanta had seen it before. It had been in every dream she had ever had since she was a little girl. They were scary dreams with monsters and a cruel man, but they were still her favorite dreams because only inside this building was she ever so carefree.

Walking hesitantly up to the building, Atlanta turned the door knob, hearing it creak open.

The interior was cleaner than she would have expected from an abandoned house, and the furniture was new. It looked as though someone stayed here often.

Atlanta ran to the living room, grinning at the exact furniture she remembered from her dreams. The only thing that was different was the collection of videos and books that lined the shelves. Atlanta dropped her backpack to the couch and slipped into the dining room that bordered the kitchen. They were the same from her memory, except that there was a small stuffed bunny sitting on the kitchen counter.

Atlanta lifted the bunny and cradled it to her chest. It was pink and worn, looking as though it had been loved. One ear was missing and the nose was gone. It had a blue ribbon around its neck attached to a small piece of cloth that said, "Sara".

"Hello Sara." Atlanta whispered. She turned to go upstairs only to see a tiny little girl, probably only seven or so staring at her. She looked amused, and a little scared.

"Umm, Hi. Miss Crazy Lady? Can I have my bunny back?" The little girl asked politely, "And also, why are you in my house?"

Atlanta nearly dropped the bunny. She quickly set the bunny at the bottom of the stairs, and backed up, not willing to scare the little girl. But the little girl grabbed her bunny, not looking frightened in the least.

"I, uhh… I thought this house was empty. I thought someone I knew lived here." Atlanta mumbled, backing slowly towards the living room to grab her backpack.

"Oh, you must mean Mr. Killes." She said, and then turning to look up the stairs she yelled, "Mr. Killes!"

"Oh no, it's okay. I will just leave. I'm going." Atlanta stuttered, about to turn and run as fast as possible out of the brownstone.

Only one thing stopped her. A man, probably taller than six feet, with vibrant purple hair. He was pale, and his nose was crooked, but other than those slight flaws, he was majestically beautiful. He looked like some Greek God under the house lights. Atlanta wished she could see him in the sun. His eyes looked grey from far away, but as he drew closer to Atlanta, she noticed they were a misty navy blue.

Though his natural appearance was almost frightening in its perfection; that was not the part that freaked out Atlanta.

She knew him. Atlanta knew this Mr. Killes on a deeper level than she knew her own soul. This man was the reason she was not married and with kids of her own. He was the reason she refused to date, to skateboard, to run.

This was the man she had once dreamt about every night. Her best friend, she had told him everything in her dreams. When her parents died, he was the only one that stuck with her. And then the day she had finished university, the dreams had stopped.

That had been the hardest blow to recover from, more so than her parents. Not because she didn't love her parents, but because when her parents had died, she had had only two choices. Survive with his support, or die without his support. She had survived. But when he had disappeared, she had no one.

The only thing different about this man in front of her, and the one in her dreams, was that the man standing in front of her looked sad and conserved. He looked calm and lonely. The man from her dreams had been hot tempered, and never patient. He had been violent to everyone, except her.

He hadn't hated the world, but he didn't really like people. He refused to trust anyone around him. He lashed out at anyone who was nice to him. Except for her. He had never hated her, never hurt her. He treated her like she was precious, and yet he refused to pamper her. According to him, she could take care of herself.

"Can I help you?" The man asked, his voice a deep baritone. Atlanta almost fell to her knees in rage and happiness right then and there. How dare he not look at her, after everything they had done together? How dare he not care at all when she cared so much?

Damn him for being so strong! For being so unfeeling! Damn him for leaving her all those years ago!

But Atlanta damned herself most of all for the fact that she knew she had never actually met this man. She damned herself in the fact that she had known him all of two seconds and was already so deeply in love with him that she couldn't speak.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't even remember her own name. But she could remember his.

"Archie?" She whispered, her voice so full of hope and despair that it cut through the very air in front of it, slicing into the little girl with its pain. What could ever cause one person so much emotion?

And what could cause the unshakable Mr. Killes to stop writing on his clipboard long enough for the blood to drain from his already pale face, and the calm tranquil emotion to fade from his eyes, leaving only shock, hatred and love?

_xxx… And when I saw you, that's when the world stopped, and life began …xxx_

A/N: Chapter two is almost ready to post, so please review!


	2. Friendship

**Chapter 2: Friendship**

A/N: Thank you **so** much for the reviews. I'm glad you guys liked it. And as promised, here is the update. And as to **Hunneybee's** question, Well, Cott has happened. They are still the descendants. In that respect, it isn't really AU, but there won't be any Cronus battles. Hope you enjoy. Sorry about me putting the chapter up three times. I had it up, and then I discovered that the dialogue was missing lol. There is one more chapter after this. And then more installment's of Reunion. Please review.

_If I owned this, I would be helping with the second season silly._

_xxx…And If I told you I needed A Friend, Would you be Mine? …xxx_

Archie could feel the blood drain from his face. He could feel emotions he had long ago written off as useless rumble to life deep in his heart. He could feel his heart pound as it only had once before in his life.

He whipped his head around and felt his hands let go of his clipboard, letting it fall to his feet. He didn't particularly care, he only truly cared about the fact that she was standing there, her hair as red as it had been when he had first met her.

Her face was paler than it had been long ago, but her eyes were the same. The same golden hazel he had once been content to watch for the rest of his life. Her lips were pink and shaped much like a long bow. Her body was lithe and muscular, not soft and curvy as most women's were. She looked almost the same. There were few differences.

The first time he had seen her, she had looked the same as she did now. Except that she had seemed so much more full of life, and love. She had been so open, so trusting, that all of the bitter cynical hate he had always carried with him fell away in front of her. She alone had been his saving grace. She trusted him, cared about him. And she did not fear him.

Archie had never understood that. He was violent, always had been. He had lived on the streets, and that was how you survived. But even though he had been mean to her when they first met, she had seen through his jaded façade.

The memory tore through him as he stared into her pixie like face.

--

_She had been lying in the grass, her arms stretched around her, staring at the sky. She was smiling, and humming softly to herself. She had been the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She shone with innocent happiness, and yet he could sense that she knew much more than a girl her age should. He had walked up to her, wanting to savor the warmth of the presence as long as he could. _

"_What are you doing here?" He asked roughly. "I don't want you here."_

_And that's when she did the most miraculous thing of all._

"_Well I want to be here, and you are welcome to stay. I am a good sharer, why don't you come and sit with me and watch the clouds?"_

_Archie had never had someone to ask to share with him before, but he was almost positive it was just some cruel hoax._

"_I don't want to sit by you." He spat angrily, "I want you to move, girl." _

_She had smiled serenely and gotten up, walking over to him. He had been ready to fight or flee. Instead of challenging him, she had taken his hand and tugged him towards the spot._

"_My name is Atlanta. Not girl. And I don't particularly care if you don't want to sit by me. I want to sit by you."_

_Archie had never had anyone want to sit by him before. It had caught him off guard. This girl as so pretty, why would she want to sit with him?_

"_Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked. Atlanta grinned._

"_I like you. You don't need to be mean with me, I know you're not a bad person. If you were, you wouldn't look so shocked that someone wanted to sit with you."_

_Archie sat down beside her, still stunned that she had known he wasn't actually mean._

"_Why would you like me? I am a bad person." _

"_No your not. You're my friend."_

_Archie had never had a friend before. And Atlanta seemed so sincere, maybe she wouldn't hurt him?_

"_I'm Archie. And I would like to be your friend."_

_--_

Archie felt his head pound as the girl who he had only ever known in dreams stared back at him in real life. His best friend. His only friend. The woman who had only been seven when they met and twenty two when he last saw her. That had been five years ago. She was now twenty seven, and he was twenty nine.

His life was almost over, and the worst part of that revelation was that the best time in his life had been when he was sleeping. Every night from the age of nine to twenty four were the nights that had made him want to keep going.

"Katie, go upstairs." He choked out, his cobalt eyes still locked on the tortured hazel ones. He heard the scrambling of Katie's footsteps. Once the room had gone silent, he sucked in a deep breath.

"Atlanta?" He asked, his voice laced with shock.

The woman seemed to awaken from a trance, and the look in her eyes was not promising. Instead of the hope that had been shining there, suspicion and hurt stood.

Archie had only had Atlanta look at him like that once before, and it had been in a dream. She was supposed to go to the prom, and she was talking about how she was going with this Gary boy. And Archie had hated it. He wanted her to be real; he wanted to go to the prom with her!

So Archie had left the dream and hadn't returned for a week. But the day after prom night, Archie had once again found Atlanta in the meadow where they had first met, only it was night instead of day.

--

_She was more of a woman now, and as she lay in the exact same spot as she had years ago, Archie could see the differences. Her face was less round and her body less boyish and more feminine. She looked like she had been crying and Archie felt pain lacerate his heart._

_He walked up to her and sat down, taking in her appearance. She watched him with her hazel eyes, filled with suspicion and hurt._

"_What are you doing here?" She had spat angrily, her words and tones only a cover up for the pain that had shone on her face._

"_I'm here because this is where I am meant to be. And now that you're here, everything is okay again." Archie had whispered softly, telling the truth and putting as much feeling into it as his heart could muster._

_She scoffed, "Sure. Why are you here?"_

_He stood and took her hand, looking down into her face._

"_I'm here to ask my best friend if she wants to dance, since I couldn't go to the prom with her."_

_Despite the tears that appeared in her eyes, her face broke out into a grin, and she took his hand and stood up._

"_I didn't go to prom."_

_He was shocked, she had been so excited. "Why not!?"_

"_I was sleeping, trying to make you come back, and I accidentally missed it." She giggled._

_Archie had been pleasantly surprised. But also a little guilty, since he was the reason she had missed her prom._

"_Well, we will have our own private prom then!" He had declared, and made a suit appear out of nowhere._

_--_

Archie came back to reality, only to see the same eyes he had seen for only an instant that night. Except this time, Archie had the feeling that these eyes would be harder to fix.

"What are you doing here?" Atlanta asked him in the exact same way she had so long ago.

"I'm here because this is where I am meant to be. And now that you're here, everything is okay again" Archie reiterated the words exactly how he remembered them.

Atlanta's face slackened, as though she was shocked he shared her memories. "Sure. Why Are you here?" She whispered in a hoarse voice, looking for confirmation that he was real.

"I'm here to ask my best friend if she wants to dance, since-" Archie was cut off as Atlanta raced into the living room, leaving him alone. He followed her quickly.

"Why are you running away from me?!" He demanded angrily, "Atlanta, come back here this instant! What are you doing? Where are you going?"

His next sentence was lost as Atlanta pulled up short and turned around to face him. Archie forgot completely what he was saying when he looked into her hazel eyes, blazing with unbearable pain and anger. They shone with every emotion he could name, but most prominent in them were hatred, love and hurt. Archie couldn't breathe under the intense scrutiny.

"Why did you leave me?" She whispered slowly, as if to taste the torturous words for herself.

Archie stepped back, as if he had been slapped. Atlanta almost regretted the words she had spoken, just because the look of self hatred and pain on Archie's face. But it was a true question, and the one question that had hounded her for the past five years.

Archie couldn't speak past the black anger he felt. How dare she accuse him of leaving! He hadn't left, he just couldn't get back! She actually thought he wanted to leave? She thought he would just stop coming to see the only person in the entire world that actually mattered to him by choice!?

But it was still his fault that she had been hurt so badly. He could have looked for her. He could have taken a chance and searched her name in every phonebook in the state. Actually, he didn't even need to do that considering he had known her name and where she had _supposedly_ lived. But Archie had thought she was a figment of his imagination, just someone he had created to make himself feel less alone. His own personal friend, which only he was allowed to know.

That was why Archie had left when the prom thing had come up. He knew she wasn't real, and therefore, neither was Gary. But even so, Archie hated the thought that maybe there was a dream Gary, and a dream prom. Or some such silly thing. And Archie hated that he was jealous of someone who didn't even exist.

And when Archie looked up from the floor, Atlanta was gone. Archie felt uncontrollable anger race through every vein in his body and he unleashed it on the wall next to him.

As he stomped up the stairs, he glanced once more back to the area Atlanta had stood in and had an intense urge to go sniff the floor. But Archie shook off the foolish thought and looked at the fist sized in his wall. He would need to fix that soon.

_xxx… __I Want One Chance To Show you, You Were Right For Me …xxx_


	3. Safety

**Chapter 3: Safety**

A/N: Well, I just got a review from **Hunneybee**, who has been amazing at reviewing every chapter. I feel so loved. So here you go! The last chapter! Thanks for the reviews. And also, did I mention that this story was dedicated to **Nuuoa Eclaire**, because she inspired me to get off my butt and write a story! Review please! And also, if you are wondering why Archie has such a silly last name, look at this: Mr. A. Killes. Think about it.

_xxx…I could stop myself from loving you, if I could stop myself from breathing …xxx_

Atlanta ran; she had always been a fast runner. Archie and her used to race in the meadow every night. She would always win, although he would come close.

Archie. The name pounded into her skull. She had always wished he was not just another dream imaginary person. But having him be real, and what's more, remember the dreams was astounding. What could cause this? Who had the power to unite people through their own dreams?

Atlanta flopped to the ground in the middle of the deserted park. She was tired in every respect. Not only had she not slept since her plane ride, but she had just had the most emotionally rattling experience of her entire life. She faintly realized it was pouring rain as she sat in the middle of the grass, trying to hate Archie with every fiber of her being and failing miserably.

"Atlanta." A voice echoed from behind her, and a vice like grip enclosed her upper arm, dragging her to a standing position. She turned slightly to see the rage filled cobalt eyes of Archie.

Atlanta was about to yell at him, but Archie beat her too it.

"Are you _serious_!? Are you honestly accusing me of leaving you! First of all, how **dare** you! I loved being with you. I would count down the hours until I could sleep again, just to see you. Do you think I would just ditch you, when you were my favorite part of living? Was I just going to erase all the memories of you? I was half a mind to just kill myself just to see if I would be with you all the time, forever. _Me_ leave _you_!! Please, Atlanta, I could never, would never leave you. I couldn't physically make myself. You were **everything**, hell, you still are everything! I thought you were just a figment of my imagination, and yet, you inspired me to go to school, to get a job and a home. You made me want to see life as something better! The way you looked at everything, with wonder and excitement in your beautiful hazel eyes. Do you think I would just forget that! No! I didn't leave you Atlanta; I was forced out of my dreams. One day I could get to you, and the next I couldn't. I didn't know what to do. And since that day, every night when I go to sleep, I try to find you, but I still can't. I can't get into your dreams anymore."

His hard voice softened into something less angry, "Atlanta, how could I leave the only thing that made me feel like a person? How could I leave the only person that had ever not been afraid of me? How could I leave you, when you trusted me? My best friend…"

He reached out and set his hand on her face lightly, "My Atlanta. How could I _ever_ leave you, when I loved you so much?"

Atlanta swatted his hand away from her face and threw herself into him. She felt his breath escape and she wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry. I was just angry." She apologized, stemming the flow of her tears. Only Archie ever made her cry. Even when her parents died, she refused to cry. She was a strong girl, and she wouldn't show that weakness. But she had cried when Archie had left for that week, and she had cried when Archie had disappeared. He was the only person on earth who had ever seen her cry. And he was always the cause.

Archie hugged Atlanta close to him, savoring the feel of the person in between his arms. It had been five years since he had held Atlanta like this. Five years since he had talked to her, looked at her.

It made him realize how much time they had wasted. It made him know beyond a doubt how much he loved her.

"Atlanta?"

"Yes?" She answered, pulling out of his arms.

"I love you. I barely survived without you. I hated every morning, when I woke up without knowing what you had done the day before. I hated going to sleep and knowing that I wouldn't find you. I hated that sometimes I thought I would never see you again. But now you're here, and even though I have only technically known you for about eight minutes or so, I know very well that I can't live without you. Survive, maybe. But live? Not a chance. And now that I know you're real, I want to take you home with me, and let you meet all the kids that sometimes stop at my house, because I am a safe house for homeless kids. And I want to show you the city, and let you meet my friends. I want to take you to the ocean, because you have always wanted to see it. And more than anything in the entire world, I want to wake up, and have you be there. I don't want to go to sleep and see you, that's not good enough anymore. I want to wake up to your face."

Atlanta grinned. He remembered she wanted to see the ocean?

"I love you too. And don't worry; my life was just as awful without you. Trust me. And if you want to wake up next to me, I suppose you better take me home and go to sleep!" Atlanta declared.

Archie smiled lightly down at the woman in front of him. Picking her up lightly by the waist, he spun her around, landing lightly with her in the wet grass. The rain continued to pour down on them, plastering her hair to her face, and soaking through their clothes.

Atlanta laughed, and looked at Archie. He was smiling at her, and one hand was lightly toying with her hair. Atlanta leaned down really close to his face, letting her breath mingle with his.

"Guess what?" She murmured.

"What?" He replied huskily.

"This is technically my first real kiss." Atlanta whispered. Archie's sapphire eyes widened and Atlanta firmly planted her luscious lips upon his, sending promises throughout his entire body before pulling away.

Archie breathed slowly, trying to regain his speech, "What do you mean, first real kiss?" Archie asked suspiciously.

His mind was still reeling from her kiss. He had kissed Atlanta many times after the prom incident, but it had technically never been real.

"I mean that I have never kissed anyone but you before. In dreams and in real life." Atlanta clarified.

Archie couldn't stop the rush of possessiveness that firmly overtook his mind for a moment. He kissed Atlanta again, reassuring himself that she was real.

"And if I have my way, you'll never kiss anyone else." He promised.

Atlanta swallowed at the glowing of his eyes as he promised her this. She wasn't really planning on kissing anyone else, considering he was real now, but still, the protective heat seared her.

The walk home was uneventful. The rain didn't stop, but the sky darkened and the clouds blocked the stars from appearing. Archie twined his large hand with Atlanta's as they walked. They didn't talk much, just reveled in each other's company. For once, they didn't have a time limit on the amount of time together.

Archie opened the door to the brownstone lightly, locking it behind himself.

"I thought you said homeless kids come here, why would you lock the door?" Atlanta asked. Archie grinned.

"Well, robbers and such would come in if I didn't lock the door, and all the kids know to come in the basement way. There's a door into the bomb shelter out underneath a bush, and it leads to the basement." Archie explained.

Atlanta nodded and dropped her backpack at the front door. She slipped off her shoes and went to follow Archie up the stairs. She stopped as soon as she saw the hoard of kids that stood there.

"Mr. Killes, why is Miss Crazy Lady here?" The tiny girl named Katie asked. Archie snickered.

"Her name is Miss Hesper. And she lives here. So be nice to her." Archie commanded. The older teens nodded respectfully to both Archie and her and returned to the upstairs.

"Sorry they are a little unsociable. Most street rats don't like anyone at all. I know I didn't. But they are respectful here, because if they aren't, I kick them out. And this is there home. They come and go as they please, sometimes leaving altogether, or not coming back for months, but they always know they have a place to stay." Archie informed her. Atlanta nodded as the hoard diminished down to two children and one teen.

Katie walked up, tugging another boy by the hand. He looked to be older than Katie, and it didn't seem as though he wanted to see Atlanta.

"C'mon Thomas!" Katie pleaded, "She was so nice earlier! Just come meet her!" The boy grudgingly agreed, mostly because Katie was practically on her knees begging.

"Hi Miss Hesper. I'm Katie, and this is my best friend Thomas." Katie declared animatedly. Atlanta grinned as she noticed that they reminded her of a certain two friend she had once known.

"Hello Katie. Hi Thomas. How old are you?" Atlanta asked politely, waiting for the response that would inevitably come.

"Why do you want to know?" Thomas snapped. Archie looked like he might yell at the boy, and Atlanta didn't want that, so she glared at Archie warningly.

"I want to know because I like you Thomas. You don't need to be mean. I am twenty-seven and I teach kids how to run around and look silly. You can call me Atlanta if you want to. All my friends do." Atlanta told him happily, watching Archie shake his head and smile.

Thomas looked up at her suspiciously. Atlanta knew he was wondering why she was being nice to him.

"My parents hated me. So they left me on the streets. No one is ever nice for a reason. So lay off the act Miss Hesper." Thomas growled.

"Well, that's too bad. Apparently your parents were stuck up idiots. Oh well, can't have everything can we? At least you have a best friend and somewhere to live. My parents died and I had to find a way to live on my own too. And it is a sad world you live in if no one is ever nice to you." Atlanta declared. And with that she stood up and turned to look at the teenager who carried towels, leaving a shocked Thomas to stare after her.

"Hello, I am Atlanta." Atlanta greeted the thin teenager. The girl glanced warily at Archie as he stood behind Atlanta and she backed up a step. With cold realization, Atlanta knew what had happened to that girl.

"Archie, why don't you take Thomas and Katie upstairs while I talk to this woman?" Atlanta asked politely.

"Atlanta, she is a newcomer. I don't know if she is safe yet." Archie muttered, his eyes glued to the edgy teen.

"Archie, she is not going to hurt me. So go upstairs please." Atlanta begged him with her eyes.

He sighed and ushered the kids upstairs, following in their wake and giving her a backwards warning glance.

Atlanta turned back to the woman and led her towards the couch. The woman followed hesitantly, clutching the towels to her.

"Hello, May I please see your baby?" Atlanta asked. The woman seemed undecided.

"Can I trust you not to hurt her?" the teen whispered. Atlanta nodded and opened her arms. The bundle of towels was quickly transferred to her. Atlanta peeled them off only to see a naked baby, sleeping quietly in her arms. She had a lock of auburn hair, and perfect little fingers.

"She is beautiful. May I ask her name?" Atlanta wondered.

"Her name is Mae. And I am Elizabeth. She needs to be fed, and clothed. She needs to be taken care of, and I cannot support her. Would you please be her mother?"

Atlanta debated internally for a moment.

"Do you love this baby? Do you blame it for the horrors of its father?" Atlanta questioned.

"I love this baby more than anything in the world. And of course it is not at fault for her father's atrocities. She is half of me too." Elizabeth said.

"Well then I cannot take her. You must raise her, Elizabeth. It will be hard, but she will be worth it. Every child deserves to know a loving mother. We will feed her and cloth her, and offer you a place to stay. You must get a job, and perhaps go to school. I will personally take care of her when you are at work or school. And one day, when you have your own house, and a steady job, and a beautiful daughter, you will look back, and you will thank me." Atlanta decided.

"You will take care of her when I am gone?" Elizabeth clarified. Atlanta nodded.

Elizabeth did not take long to decide. "I will raise her, because I will love her more than anything. But I will need a room."

Atlanta stood, looking towards the stairs.

"Come with me then."

Atlanta found Archie shutting doors to all the rooms in the upstairs. He sighed lightly and turned towards her, his face more exhausted than she had ever seen it.

"Archie?" Atlanta said, "We need a permanent room for this woman."

"Atlanta I do not know if she is safe, usually I try and know people before they stay here, just so the security of the other kids is better. For all I know, there is a knife in her towels and she is planning mu-" Archie's tired voice was cut off by Atlanta's.

"Archie, she needs a room. She really needs one. A permanent one." Atlanta pleaded.

"Atlanta she may not be sa-"

"Archie, she has a baby! Please. I promise she won't kill anyone!"

Archie turned sharply towards the towels that Elizabeth clutched to her and he nodded once.

"Very well. You will have the attic. It is a bit dusty and it has one leaky spot, but it is a permanent room, and the biggest. I will fix the leak, and there is a crib already up there." Archie explained, turning towards the string that hung down from the roof. He tugged it sharply, and a set of stairs descended from the roof.

Elizabeth turned to me, tears glistening in her brown eyes. Atlanta could see that she was thankful.

"Thank you Atlanta. And you Mr. Killes. You won't regret this. I will make sure she doesn't cry. I will take care of her. As soon as I can, I will get a job and pay rent!"

Atlanta nodded and shooed her into her upstairs room, turning to Archie who leaned against the wall, his eyes closed.

"You know, I have never seen you sleep." She observed randomly, making him chuckle as he closed the attic stairs.

"Well let's go do that then, sleep. My bedroom is downstairs. Come on, I'm dead tired."

Atlanta followed him down to his room, letting him open the door into a large room that was painted a light blue color, and covered with posters and pictures. In the left corner _(A/N: I got so sidetracked here, I drew the entire house layout on a sheet of paper lol)_ there was a large walk in closet. Then the bed was in the center of the room. There was a large ensuite that Archie assured her that none of the kids were allowed to use, except in extreme emergency, and only in the day.

Archie walked to his closet, digging through clothes and pulling out a large shirt and boxers for Atlanta. He threw them to her and she caught them, walking to the bathroom for modesty's sake.

When Atlanta exited the bathroom, only a small lamp lit the room. Archie was already in the bed and Atlanta walked to the side. She hesitated at the bed, watching Archie uncertainly. He laughed lightly.

"C'mon Lanta. You do realize that we have done more intimate things in our dreams right? This isn't really a big deal." Archie informed her.

"Well, I know that! But still, this seems more real somehow. And I have never technically slept with you." Atlanta defended. Archie tugged her hand towards him and she fell into the bed, snuggling under the covers.

"Fine you win. Jeez." Atlanta muttered, cuddling up to Archie's side. She was safely entwined in his arms when she realized something.

"Guess what?" Atlanta muttered.

"What?" Archie replied sleepily.

"This morning when I got on the bus, I was thinking about how I hadn't felt loved, or safe or happy in such a long time. And as I was on my way to work, This little girl just looked so full of life and vibrancy, that I decided right then and there that I wanted to see the ocean. So I stopped the bus, phoned my boss and told her I was running away. And then I got the plane that came to the closest city from the ocean, and here I am. And I feel loved, safe and happy." Atlanta whispered dreamily. Archie's arms tightened on her.

"Thank the gods for that little girl. We have to invite her to our wedding." Archie teased. Atlanta felt her eyes widen.

"Wedding? We're getting married?" She exclaimed quietly.

"Oh Atlanta, I thought I made it quite clear that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you this afternoon." Archie mumbled. Atlanta was euphoric, but also a little put out that Archie could barely stay awake long enough to propose properly.

"Archie, When you are actually awake and concentrating, I want a speech and a ring." Atlanta declared, settling down into his arms again. She was almost asleep when Archie sat straight up.

"Oh my Gods! I forgot!" He exclaimed.

"What?" Atlanta replied.

He dug around in his pajama pockets, and pulled out a black velvet box. Atlanta's eyes widened.

"Why do you have that in your pocket?"

Archie grinned at her, and he quickly bounced out of bed, only to go down on the traditional one knee.

"Okay, I wrote this the third day I had not seen you. I then realized that I couldn't live without you, so I decided that I would marry you, even if you were only in my dreams. Sorry we aren't actually in the dream, because then it would be more effective, but you will get the gist."

He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes, "Atlanta Hesper. I have known you only in my dreams, every night since I was nine and you were seven. And as we stand here now, in the meadow we met in, I see now that you have grown up, as I have. And even though we may never fall asleep together, I hope you know that you are always on my mind. Even if I have to sleep away forever to be with you, I will. Because I love you. Atlanta Hesper, will you marry me?"

Atlanta blurted, "That would have been beautiful in our meadow."

Archie rolled his eyes, "I know, that's why I wrote it like we were there, but that was a serious question."

"Oh, sorry. Of course I will marry you. Now get back to bed you idiot."

Archie, grinning like a fool, climbed into bed and lay down.

"Why are you beaming like you just won a million bucks? You look silly." Atlanta grumbled.

"Oh, I just won way more than a million bucks Mrs. Archie Killes. I just got a beautiful woman to say yes to forever to me. To me, that is worth more than all the money in the world."

Atlanta smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek, turning out the lamp, and falling asleep in the one place that always made her feel safe.

Archie's arms.

_xxx… If I slept in your arms, could you sleep too? …xxx_

Hera turned to Zeus, happiness shining in her eyes. She beamed at her husband, and hugged him tightly. She may scheme and plot, and he may cheat and be forgetful, but they were friends. Maybe they didn't love deeply, but to some degree, the Queen of the Gods, and the King of the Gods cared for eachother.

"Oh Zeus. Do you think they will ever forgive us for erasing their lives together, and turning back time to when they were children? I mean, it was for the good of the earth… And we did help them find eachother again."

"I don't know Hera. They lost a lot of years that could have been spent together. They may hate us. But for the safety of all the other people, they had to sacrifice time. And unfortunately, time seems to be the most valuable of all."

Hera turned to see the faces of Archie and Atlanta in her scrying orb. They were together, and happy. But when would the others be together, and happy?

"Zeus, I think we should reunite Jay and Theresa next."

_xxx… I know that I'll be in your dreams tonight …xxx_

A/N: Review if you liked it please! And look forward to the next installmet of Reunion with Jay and Theresa!


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